In Sleep He Sang To Me
by BringMeToLife340
Summary: Arya is a young girl who, after being orphaned, has come to audition at the newly restored opera house. The Phantom believes she is Christine, come back to love him once more. Arya soon becomes tangled up in the Phantom's story and his need to be loved.
1. Let Your Mind Start A Journey

**Plot: Arya is a young girl who has just moved to Paris. After being orphaned she decides to try out for a role in the newly restored Opera House, not knowing the tragic past of it. After a young woman, who was there during the time of the tragedy, tells her the tale of the Opera Ghost Arya longs to know more. When the phantom first sees Arya he believes she is Christine, come back from the dead to love her once more. Arya soon becomes tangled up in the Phantom's story and his need to just be loved.**

**A/N: You'll have to forgive my aweful writing skills. I've just had this story in my head for a really long time and I just had the need to write it down. I do not own anything except my love for The Phantom Of The Opera.**

In Sleep He Sang To Me

Chapter One. Let Your Mind Start A Journey

I slammed the huge, yet intricate and detailed door behind me. I shook off the melting snow that was in my coat and long curly red hair. I was slightly pulling off my coat when a doorman came to my aid and asked to take it from me.

I smiled, then replied "Of course".

I then looked around at the grandeur of the ceiling. Lord, was it breathtaking.

The swirls would almost crash, like waves, into smaller jewel like shapes. Then the jewels would entwine with pictures of cherubs, and beautiful women.

My admiration was put to a halt when the doorman motioned for me to follow him.

He led me up a marble staircase made of solid gold, with statutes carved into the sides of posts.

The doorman opened up, yet another, large door. He then lead me through the gorgeous doors into a massive room, and in the middle of that room was a gigantic stage. The red of the seats and carpet was almost blinding, I had only seen blood that red before. The gold framing of the seats mirrored the stairway's artistic genius.

I glanced up to see that the auditions had already started. There was a woman with long golden hair, pale skin, and eyes the color of the sea. Her facial features were simple yet elegant. It was obvious this woman had once been beautiful, though maybe she had gone through quite a bit of hardship.

She was a dancer. It was that obvious. Her figure was small yet long, most of her body was made up of legs. She would point her toes then squat in a position that looked as if she was about ready to pounce. Then suddenly she would spring upwards and land in a different position then before.

I walked up the aisle of seats towards a man who looked as if he was in charge.

Luckily, he was. His name was Mousier Bouquet. He had owned the opera house ever since the two men who had bought it five years ago had quit. When I asked, he wouldn't tell me why they had quit.

After the blonde girl was done performing he asked me to walk up on stage and sing the chorus of a song. After climbing the wooden stairs up to the stage, I looked at the floor. Then I smoothed out my skirt until it could no longer be smoothed anymore.

Looking aggravated, Mousier Bouquet glance up and said "I don't have all day. Please, would you just sing something!?".

I took a deep breath then started singing an aria from "Hannibal".

When I had finished, I didn't want to look up. I didn't want to see his face, shocked that I could sing so horrendously. I eventually looked up, after dieing of longing.

Surprisingly, his face was the exact opposite. He looked bewildered, in a good way.

Mousier Bouquet stood up, walked towards the stage and said "Congratulations, child. I believe you may have won yourself the lead role."

This was the most terrific day ever. I shook his hand and walked back behind the stage to find out where I was to sleep at night.

I tapped on the shoulder of a young girl. When the girl whirled around I was surprised to see that it was the blonde haired girl who I had seen dancing before.

She then titled her head a bit and said in a light and airy voice "You must be the new girl who's to play the lead now, eh? I'm Meg, it's nice to meet you..." she trailed off "Arya" I replied.

"How suitable." she smiled.

"Am I suppose to ask you where I'm to sleep at night?" I asked softly.

"I believe so." Meg walked off quickly with one of my bags looking paranoid.

I then took my large duffel bag, pillows, and a small round suitcase and quickly tried to catch up.

"May I ask you something, Meg?" I asked quietly. "Yes, of course. As long as you hurry!"

I wasn't entirely sure how to ask her my question. I thought for a moment then said quietly "I noticed that you and Mousier Bouquet are both acting very strange. May I ask why?"

"Lord, um... you know what? This isn't the right place to be talking. I will answer your question when we reach our dorm." She then looked around in various ways to make sure no one had been listening.

After climbing up different flights of stairs and various hallways we eventually reached the actor's dorms. The doors to the dorms were all along one single hallway. My dorm was to be shared with Meg, and our dorm was at the very end of the hallway.

When we reached the dorm, Meg opened the door quickly then shoved me into the room. She glanced around then walked in herself.

"Okay, you mustn't tell anyone I told you this." She said with sincerity.

"I swear I won't tell a thing.". I climbed up onto a rather large bed, then took my very long and curly red hair and began to play with strands of it.

"Have you ever heard about the ghost of the opera house?" Meg asked.

"Ghost? Is this what this is all about? Lord, this is why you and Mousier Bouquet are paranoid?"

"Yes, but we actually have seen him. Well, not Mousier but I have. My best friend almost died because of him. He's a monster. She was gorgeous, she happened to look a ton like you, and she could sing marvelously. The ghost, or I guess we should call him buy his actual name, Erik, had fallen madly in love with her. But she already had a lover and did not return Erik's affections. He sought out to kill her lover, Raoul, and take my friend, Christine, for himself.

After much madness and death, Erik eventually gave in and let them be together. But he never stopped loving her. And the reason we are acting paranoid is because you look so freakishly like her, he could come and take you from your sleep any night!".

When Meg finished her story I was stunned, I was thirsting for more. The story was breathtaking. I was positive there was a lot romance and passion that had gone on during that time, and I being a hopeless romantic would of killed to have some sort of romantic past like that.

After a few moments of pondering through my thoughts, I then asked Meg eagerly "Would it be so wrong as to possibly want Erik to find me?"

"Erik!? To find you!? Are you insane!?" Meg stood up looking almost disturbed.

"I think it would be romantic to have someone with a tragic past love me."

"Don't ever say that again! If he found you... I just don't even want to think about it." Meg looked away from me and turned her head to the clock on the wall. "We should be getting to bed, and I want to make sure you aren't wandering around corridors tonight, okay? Will you promise me that?"

"I promise to not wander around corridors." I replied bluntly.

"Good, now let's get to bed. I shall see you in the morning" she looked at me threateningly.

After I had changed into my night clothes and undid the bed sheets, I climbed in. I rested my head against the pillow and soon drifted softly off to sleep.

_I climbed out of bed after making sure everyone was asleep. I climbed down several flights of stairs and hallways until I had reached back behind the stage where the costumes were kept. _

_I looked around at a few of them trying to find out which costumes could maybe be mine. I found one that had my name on it. It was rather large, and looked very heavy. It was pure white with beading detail on the entire skirt of it. The bodice was strapless and had no beading work on it but was still just as elegant. _

_I put the dress back then continued down the musty hallway. _

_I suddenly heard the most gorgeous music I had ever heard. _

_The soft sway of the piano, the silky smooth voice, and the lyrics were haunting. _

_I had no idea who was making the music, but I was going to find out. I walked down the hallway hardly knowing where I was going, I was just following the echoes of the music. _

_The music stopped. I hunched my shoulders in disappointment._

_I heard a slight creak in the floor boards, then I took half a step and the floor fell from beneath me. _

_I was falling, and probably going to die from the hight. I stopped. I was no longer falling, but in the arms of warm and muscular hands. _

_I looked at the head that belonged to these arms. I gasped in disbelief. The face was rather handsome, on one half._

_The other half I couldn't see, but only because it was hidden behind a white, simple, and porcelain mask. _

"Crap!" I breathed. I had been sweating because I noticed the bed sheets were wet. "Just a dream..."


	2. He's There Inside My Mind

In Sleep He Sang To Me

He's There Inside My Mind

I loudly inhaled and exhaled. I had been sweating an awful lot, I was only able to tell because my bed sheets were soaked. Thank God that had only been a dream, who knows what would of happened had the exact opposite occurred.

I climbed out of bed, practically ripping the cotton sheets off of me.

I stepped into my robe and night slippers and walked out of the room, I needed to breathe.

The corridors were empty so I looked at the Grandfather clock that stood at the end of the hallway, it read one o'clock.

No one would be up this early in the morning.

A chilly draft came in through an open window so I wrapped my robe tighter around me.

I then walked down the wooden and creaking stairs to the next long and confusing hallway.

Someone who had not been staying in such a large place could get easily lost, like myself.

I was looking for the cast member's bathroom but accidentally stumbled upon a large wooden door that read '_Prima Donna Dressing Room'. _I, being the curious girl I was, pushed heavily on the door.

The room was overpowered by pink and the smell of perfume. There were flowers on ever piece of furniture so that the furniture was no longer visible. There was a large portrait of a plump lady sitting on a stool holding, what looked like, a theatrical ghost. Her hair was red with a slight hint of brown, but in tight curls that dropped down her back gracefully.

I moved on past the portrait to a dressing table, it was the only place in the entire room that you could see part of the furniture. The table had dozens of single red roses tied with a silk black ribbon.

I faced the direction of the dressing table, but continued to walk.

Doing so, I nearly smacked up against a see-through mirror. It was strangely odd looking, after all, how many times are you able to see a passageway through a translucent mirror?

There was slight crack in the mirror, almost as if someone had closed it and not shut it enough.

I slowly slid the mirror open, to my disappointment the mirror made an annoying creaking noise that sounded like nails against a blackboard. If that hadn't woken up someone then I must have been imagining the noise.

I walked through the mirror hesitantly.

The stench of mildew and mold was so powerful I could barely see, obviously no one ever used this passageway... or cleaned it.

I walked with my arms out, as to rid any cobwebs in my way. I'm sure if anyone took notice of me they'd think I was something to laugh at.

There were torches mounted on metal brackets on the wall, all were lit, surprisingly. The walls were hard, cold, and made of hard gray cement. The floors were a smooth wooden material that I couldn't recognize, but groaned and squeaked with old age.

After what seemed like hours of walking, I approached a foggy lake that, from what I could see, stretched through the catacombs for miles.

On top of the algae covered lake was a rowboat with only one paddle sitting over the front seat of the boat, almost as if someone was expecting me to use it.

I stepped into the waddling boat, drenching my robe and undergarments half way up my thighs.

I stood in the boat trying to keep my balance desperately. I took the worn paddle into my petite, and at the time, freezing hands. I then pushed off from the wall where the rowboat had been tied up, then slowly and difficultly rowed my way down the lake.

My arms were aching insanely, and I couldn't take rowing so quickly for much longer. I was in need of finding out what was on the other side of this lake, or even just knowing who owned the rowboat I was using.

I eventually reached a large archway. I looked up above to see an old and rusty gate, which from the looks of it, had been left open for a reason.

When I glanced down, I was shocked to see that the lake had ended, but that was not the reason I was shocked, for I saw two cement steps dripping with water that lead up to a large living space filled with extravagant furnishings, architectural detail, etc.

Someone actually lived under here, away from all the dark world above the dungeons.

I pushed off of a column to try to get closer to the room, but I apparently did something wrong because when I hit the column I must have hit to hard. The boat decided to rock violently and throw me over the small sides of the boat. The water made a ear crashing splash as I hit the water.

I swam over to the steps and climbed out, now officially drenched.

I walked over to a large mirror, framed with a delicate gold color, so that I could see how awful I looked. To my dismay, my hair was an utter mess, and since my robe was practically white with just a small hint of green, you could see right though it. Every inch of my undergarments were now visible through my robe.

Out of curiosity, I decided to take a look around. Over in the far right hand corner, there sat an organ with cobwebs surrounding every last key. Right next to the organ were even more mirrors, but this time hung on the wall. It was clear that this person liked to look at themselves. Next to the mirrors was a wooden door, the framing around it was the same as the mirror.

I turned the doorknob and opened the door as wide as I could, it seemed that there was something behind the door, because it stopped halfway open.

I slowly poked my head through the door but let out a soft gasp when I saw who was in the room staring at themselves in yet another mirror. It was the man in my dream, the man who I had wanted to meet so badly last night, the Phantom of the Opera, and yet I stood there, afraid out of my mind that he would hurt me. I tried closing the door but the creaking floors made a loud groan when I took a step back.

_Damn these floors, _I thought to myself.

The man turned around to see me red in the face, staring at him in awe. I was ready for him to explode, for him to come towards me with some sort of knife for being on his property, or at least what he thought was his property. Instead he did what I wasn't expecting, he had a soft grin of joy spread across his face. There was a spark in his eyes that I hadn't noticed before. He looked like a man who had practically been dead for months, but had now resurrected. His loving look made me blush even more.

We both stood there for a moment, just simply wanting to take everything in.

"I believe, dearest, your name is Arya." he said in a luscious and silky voice. I just stuttered back, "Y-ye-yes.". I didn't even care how he had found out my name in so little time, all I cared about was looking at his marvelous face.

"Well then, my name is Erik, Arya." Erik said smiling a bit. He walked out of the room and walked gracefully over to the organ. He just didn't seem human to me, he was to elegant, to refined. He didn't seem real.

Erik played a few notes then looked up to see me standing twenty feet away from him, listening in wonder. He smirked, but wasn't laughing at the expression on my face. He was looking at my soaked garments. I looked down and realized again that my undergarments were still showing through my robe. I turned my head away in embarrassment.

Erik began to play again, but this time it actually was a song. The melody was gorgeous, and just like him, it was inhuman. The sway of the music picked me up in a whirl wind. He played nonsense for a few moments then cleverly turned it into a song that was familiar to me.

"_Never knew I could feel like this, it's like I've never seen the sky before..." _Erik began to sing softly as I walked steadily towards him. He was playing Come What May, the exact same song my parents sang to me before they had died. "_Want to vanish inside your kiss. Every day I'm loving you more and more" _I sang, harmonizing with him.

Erik looked up in surprise as I began to sing the tune he was playing. I stared into his eyes, it was as if everyone in the world had vanished and we were the only ones living. He stared back, continually playing his music. I melted at the site of his gorgeous face staring back at mine. "_Listen to my heart, can you heart it sing? Telling me to give you everything. Seasons may change winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time" _I continued to sing, but this time I meant what I was saying as we seemed like one combined together.

I broke from his focus on me and walked next to him, so that I could see him playing. I sat hesitantly on the bench he was sitting on, Erik smiled a bit, letting me know that I was free to sit there.

I hardly knew this man and yet I wanted his hands on mine, I wanted him to freely brush his lips against my own.

I carefully nudged myself closer to him, letting him know that I was there for him. I placed the palm of my hand on his shoulder blade, he just continued to play and sing the lyrics I knew so well. I saw that he took no notice of my touch so I laid my head on the top of his shoulder. As I did so, Erik messed up one of the notes and stopped playing. I must of gone too far, for his breathing became heavy. He closed his eyes softly then turned towards me to answer my own thoughts.

"You touch me as if I'm not a monster. As if I'm actually human." He said breaking the silence. "You're not a monster, neither are you human. You're too perfect to be human. I feel as if you should vanish from my sight any minute and this all be a dream."

I stood up from where we had been sitting and carelessly walked over to a curtain that was slightly open. I opened the curtain so that everything that was behind it was now visible. There were numerous pictures of a beautiful girl who looked a lot like myself, she had chocolate brown hair in tight curls that surrounded elegantly around her face. Her hair color was the only difference between us. Our facial features, our body weight could have been the same, even our clothes were similar. Next to all these pictures was a folded gown with a wedding ring set lightly on top of it.

"Was this your wife?" I whirled around and stared, wanting an answer. A tear ran down the cheek of Erik's face and dropped down to the floor. I didn't know how I had upset him, but the happy man who had sat there a few minutes ago was no longer there.

I hadn't meant to disturb him like that, I just wanted to find out if he had had a wife of his own at some point.

"N-no." Erik began, I could barely hear him through his muttering. He opened his mouth to speak more but I interrupted him. "Oh, I-I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I played with my fingers innocently, like I always do when I'm nervous. Erik's smile reappeared once more on his face.

Erik walked over beside me and laid a hand on my shoulder, he then leaned past me and picked up the ring off of the white gown. He took my hand in his own, and lifted the ring onto my middle finger.

"I believe we should pick up where we left off... Christine."

"Wh-what did you just call me?" I looked up at him in surprise, then down to the ring. I heard him speak my name twenty minutes ago, and I believe I had heard him say Arya. At least I thought so.

I had had only met this man in a matter of minutes, and yet he wanted me to marry him?


	3. Our Passion Play Has Now Begun

**A/N: I finally got it posted! This chapter is kind of boring compared to the last two, but there is a little bit of romance going on. In the next chapter I hope to introduce a new love interest, that should kind of be interesting. So anyways! Right a review! I want to know what everyone thinks x) **

In Sleep He Sang To Me

Our Passion Play Has Now Begun

Chapter 3.

I glossed over and just stared at Erik for what seemed like forever, he just smiled at me lovingly. I glanced at the ring that he had placed on my finger, and now felt like a heavy weight that I couldn't lift up. I stared for a few more minutes then eventually came to senses. I had no idea what I was going to tell him. I couldn't just blurt out '_Who the bloody hell is Christine!?'_. No, that definitely was not the right approach. Then I remembered the story Meg had told me. The story that I had adored and had wanted to know more, and yet I had completely forgotten up until now. This man had once loved a girl named Christine, that was until she died of a sudden heart attack. Then it hit me. Erik believed I was Christine! He must have been into all the psychic myths, he must have thought I had come back from the dead, or... maybe he didn't even know Christine had died.

"I'm sorry, I-I don't know what your talking about. I'm not who you think I am, I'm not Christine." I was shaking so violently that my arms were beginning to hurt. He laughed, then looked at me like a father who would correct his innocent daughter. "Don't be silly. Of course you're Christine, who else would you be?" I looked at him like he was out of his mind. "Because I'm Arya! My name has always been that, and I plan on keeping it that way. Why can't you see that? Why, I even just heard you call me by my actual name earlier." I easily get frustrated. Especially when people don't listen to me, and I was on the verge of becoming angry.

Erik placed his hand on my cheek bone and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He soothingly said "My love, you'll soon come to realize that you _are_ Christine, it was just a few months ago that we were in this very room. I admit that what I did was wrong, taking Raoul away from you like that, but I feel that we weren't able to spend enough time with each other, but I think we can now. You seem to have forgotten Raoul." He placed his hands on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. I tried not to keep eye contact.

Who in the Lord's name was Raoul? He must have been the man that Christine was in love with. Meg evidently wasn't very big on details.

I was now beginning to get angry, I just had to tell him that Christine had died. Maybe he would believe me then.

I tilted my head towards his face and looked up at him wide eyed. "Erik, Christine died of a severe heart attack just a few months ago. So now there is no possible way that I can be Christine! Will you _please_ believe me now?" I looked at him waiting to see what his reaction was. He just stood there, his arms on my shoulders.

"Wh-wh-what?" I thought I could see water rising to the brim of his eyes, but it could of just been the lighting. "Ch-christine is _not_ dead. How could she be when I'm looking into her eyes this very moment." I was now officially angry. I growled in frustration and stormed off to what looked like a bed. It almost looked like the row boat I had used to get over here, except for the black drape that hung down from the ceiling over the bed itself, that and the blood red velvet sheets. I sat on the rim of the bed with my arms crossed slightly over my chest.

Erik walked at a fast stride towards me. I looked at what was in his hands in disgust. He carried the dreaded thing like it was the most precious thing on the earth. There, lying in his warm hands, lay a white gown with a veil laying over the top of it.

"Lord God, please don't let him come any closer." I looked up at the heavens expectantly. Yet Erik still continued to walk closer towards me. I looked around for a moment hoping he would stop walking, when he showed no signs of halting, I exclaimed "Stop!". To my surprise, he abruptly stopped, looking at me strangely. "Don't you come any closer as long as you have that _thing_ in your hands" without a word he walked closer towards me, still carrying the dress.

When he reached the bed, he held out his hand as if he was trying to help me down. I tried pushing him away from me, but I awkwardly fell backwards, hitting my head on the mattress. I was now lying down on the bed, Erik stood there looking at me like I was some kind goddess. I for sure was no goddess! I had just attempted to push him away from me because he was carrying a dress, and had fallen backwards over the brim of the bed trying to do so.

I quickly gathered myself together, stood up, and walked as far away from the demon bed as possible. I glanced behind my shoulder to see if Erik had followed me. To my surprise he was no longer at the side of the bed panting over me, but was staring at me like a circus freak.

"I would appreciate it if you put on this dress, Christine." Erik said, beginning to sound irritated.

"Gah! When will you believe that I am _not_ Christine!? I never was, and I never will be." Evidently I was taking too long to change into the dress, because Erik started peeling off my robe, much to my disgust. I pushed his hands away like a two year old and shrugged my robe back on.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to take off my clothes" I stared at him blankly, he just looked at me more.

I had always thought it romantic when someone was desperately in love with you, but now I just found it extremely annoying. I hardly knew this man, I had met him maybe thirty minutes ago, it could have been less, but he was skipping ahead too fast. I would have already been aggravated if he had tried to kiss me in this short of time, but trying to marry and shove my clothes off of me was definitely way too fast.

"Would you please just get this dress on! I don't have all day!" Erik seemed to be unfolding the dress. I blinked then shouted "No! There's no way I could ever possibly marry you!". Erik took a step back, as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart. He fell to his knees and clutched the wedding dress to his muscular chest. "Y-y-you... don't... wan.." he trailed off. I could barely understand him, but I knew the words I just yelled out of anger had just broken his heart.

I bent down on my knees and placed my hand on his shoulder lovingly. He noticed I was touching him, and in anger, shrugged off my hand. I couldn't help but feel sorry for this pour creature who was lying there like his entire world was crumbling down in front of me.

He pitifully began to sing "_Christine, I love you" _my heart melted in agony, I hadn't meant to hurt him. I was just furious that he wouldn't leave me alone, he was just a bit clingy. Erik sang words that were too unintelligible for me to understand. He looked over his shoulder at me and glared menacingly. He low and softly said "There's another man isn't there?". So he was also very jealous. "N-" he interrupted me and continued "One day you will see that I was meant for you, that we were meant to be together, but you'll be too late. I'll have already died a slow painful death. I knew since the first moment I heard you sing that I needed you with me... forever, but I can see that you think the opposite." That last word hung in the air, but it rang in my ears like the loudest bell on earth.

I placed the palm of my hand on his cheek then turned his head so that his chocolate brown melancholy eyes were looking into my own. We were inches away from each other, but I had the urge to crawl closer to him. The emotion that I was feeling was apparently showing in my eyes, because Erik's frown turned into a slight shy smile. His muscles relaxed, and his eyes gleamed.

I leaned in so close that I could feel his sweet breath on my skin. Our noses were touching softly as I felt his hand creep slowly onto my waist. I got caught in the moment, and ignored where his hands were. I wasn't going to let his eagerness ruin this. I slightly leaned in and brushed my lips against his. Erik's eyes closed, and sat there on the cold cement floor shocked for a moment. Then I felt him give in and began kissing me back.

I wrapped my hands around his warm neck, as he slid his other hand on the other side of my waist, caressing me against him.

What was I doing? This man could be a mass murderer for all I know, and yet I was kissing him. I had just never felt like this before, sparks flying in numerous directions. I couldn't even believe I was thinking this after knowing him for so little a time, but I loved him. Some part of me felt like I had known him for my entire life, that we had been childhood sweethearts and were reuniting at last. The only thing was, that had never happened. I just stumbled upon Erik an hour ago, but we had some sort of connection that didn't seem realistic.

I pulled away from him unwillingly, Erik seemed saddened that I had which made me regret pulling away even more. Erik removed his hands from my waist, stood up, then awkwardly looked down at me, still sitting on the floor.

I grabbed his hand and pulled myself upwards toward him "I must be going, it has to at least be four o'clock. I had to get up early for rehearsals and I'm positive Meg will be looking for me." I sighed, I didn't want to leave his presence.

I thought I must be bipolar, one minute I'm pushing away his hands, the next I'm wrapping myself around him, kissing him like I've known him my entire life.

I waited for Erik's reply, but he didn't seem to have one. Erik just took me by the hand and led me towards one of his numerous mirrors. He pulled a black curtain that was hanging over it to the side and slid open the mirror, just like the one that had led me to his lair in the first place. There was a long passageway that was much more elegant then the one that I had came through. Erik stepped into the mirror and pulled me in with him.

When we reached the other side of the passageway, Erik lead me through a wooden door that apparently was the closet of the pink dressing room I had explored. He kissed the top of my hand and said "Good night, mademoiselle." then Erik turned around and closed the closet door behind him.

I was sad to see him go. A wave of slight depression lingered over me when he closed the door. It almost felt like I would never see him again.

I exited the room into the chilly corridors, and considering my robe was still slightly wet, it felt like little nails were poking every inch of my skin. I reached Meg and I's dormitory and opened the door quietly, hoping that she wasn't awake to see that I had wandered about. After all, I had promised her that I wouldn't poke my nose into any of the mysterious looking rooms, or any rooms to be exact. I had easily broken my promise, and she would be furious.

I walked into the room and sat down on my bed, stripping the chilly robe off of me. I sat on my bed, tucking my legs underneath me to keep them warm. I then glanced at the diamond ring that was still on my finger. I had felt immensely happy, but everything was still absolutely wrong. I wasn't Christine, I couldn't possibly marry Erik, and I knew nothing about him.


	4. Remember Me Waking

**A/N: I know it's been about a month since I've updated, but I truthfully haven't been in the mood to write. If I force myself to write then it becomes work, not fun... and probably all the characters would die for no reason at all. I've actually started writing the next chapter all ready, I do know that by the end of the story at least one main character is dying. I'm not saying who though.**

**This chapter is pretty boring,dull, and short, but otherwise I hope you like it!**

Chapter 4. Remember Me Waking

Meg and I sat on a splintered bench backstage, talking quietly to one another. We were awaiting our turn to practice for the next stage production of _Hannibal_, but Meg seemed to have something else on her mind.

"How could you have been so life threateningly stupid?" Her glare seemed to be piercing a hole in my own eyes. "You don't just walk into an open mirror that seems to be a secret passageway! Only someone who is completely insane would do that!" She only stopped for a breath. "And after I _told_ you not too! I told you that he's a mass murderer and could easily snap that slender neck of yours!". A chorus girl, who had been eating over in the far corner, choked and hacked up a piece of apple with the mention of a murderer.

"Meg, how many times to I have to explain myself?" Meg stuck up her nose and looked anywhere but at me, like an immature two year old.

"Until you simply apologize." She stated.

"I'm not going to apologize for being curious. I'm not going to apologize for falling in love... if this is love."

"He's a terrible man! Who in their right mind would fall in love with _that_ kind of guy!?".

Several heads were turning and staring at us, and seemed to be eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Meg, would you please calm down, I don't want the whole opera house to know about my love affair. I don't think I could take anymore lecturing." I half sighed.

A woman wearing all black interrupted our conversation by approaching me.

"Madame Arya, they're ready for you to rehearse" The woman said coarsely.

I stood up, gladly taking the chance to get away from Meg. Since when was she in charge of taking care of me in the first place?

Mousier Bouquet greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile as I stepped out onto the brightly lit stage. He was standing with a group of other young business men in center stage, when he saw me running towards him he broke away from the group and gave me an awkward hug.

"Now Arya, are you ready to rehearse? I should hope so?"

"Of course! I couldn't sleep at all last night" Which was a half lie, there was no need to go into details as to why I couldn't sleep.

"Well then, before you begin I would like to introduce to you the producer of our upcoming opera, Christian Aglionby, one of my best friends."

A young man, around the age of twenty five, stepped out of the group of men and came up to Bouquet's side. He had dark chocolate colored hair that was wind swept to one side of his face. His eyes were the color of the sea, that contrasted perfectly with his pale skin tone.

The room spun around me wildly, making my stomach churn, but I didn't seem to mind. Christian and I were the only human beings in the room, or possibly the world right now.

I thought this only happened in books, falling in love at first sight.

Christian spoke, my heart melted as he did so. "You must be Arya, I must say I've wanted to meet you so badly, Bouquet here won't shut up about you." I blushed a violent shade of red as he looked at me with his beautiful eyes.

"I-I-I'm happy to have met you." That was all I was able to mutter out unless he wanted me to violently throw up on him, which I myself didn't want to happen.

Christian half smiled while staring at me.

"Well I sort of feel like a third wheel here, so I'll leave you two love birds to get to know each other." Mousier Bouquet said awkwardly.

Christian turned his head to the floor, as if it had quickly become interesting, then asked "Have you ever done anything like this before? Perform I mean."

I looked at my hands and began to fidget my fingers, looking at each one for a long period of time, this is what I do when I'm nervous.

"Uh, no. I sort of... lost my parents when I was young. I then was raised by my aunt until she passed away a few months ago. By then I was old enough to live on my own, and I had always been told I could sing, so I sought out a job in Paris. They were having auditions for the leading role, and Bouquet apparently liked my voice enough."

Mousier Bouquet stepped forward as Christian and I paused and took the liberty of saying "Dear Arya, I do think we best continue our rehearsal, the other cast members are getting restless." .

As Bouquet ushered away the other business men, I stepped in center stage.

"Are you ready Mademoiselle?" Bouquet asked.

My legs were shaking, but it was simple. All I had to do was merely sing two verses, and the chorus twice. It would be over in a matter of minutes, and then I could attempt to flirt with Christian.

"Yes, I believe so." I answered.

Bouquet queued the Mastero to begin.

The melody for _Think Of Me_ began, and my voice was ready.

"_Think of me, think of me fondly as we say goodbye. Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try. We never said our love was ever green, or as unchanging as the sea, but please promise me that sometimes you will think of me."_

When the song ended, no one was clapping. The buzz of my own questions was in my ear. What if I was terrible? What if my voice wasn't ready since I had been up all night? I would be thrown out on the streets immediately, and no one would care about me, but of course I was wrong.

There was a low clap that grew into a loud thunderous one, and there was no audience. Only the crew and cast members were there to applaud for me, but it sounded like there was a full house.

I blushed, then ran off the stage in embarrassment into Meg's arms.

"Good night! You sure can sing!" She whispered into my ear.

I smiled and turned my head, glaring at her, as to warn her that I didn't want any compliments right now.

Christian ran across the stage, and picked me up in a gigantic squeeze. I was flattered that he had approved of my performance, but he soon set me down, getting heavy glances from Meg.

"You can sing like an angel!" He shouted joyfully.

"Shh! I don't want any compliments." I now felt comfortable around Christian, almost like we were brother and sister, and I had known him for years. Something about the song I had just sung had given me the ability to be myself around him.

Christian looked me in the eyes and smiled a smile that spread across his face until Mousier Bouquet came and asked for his assistance.

I stood away from time, completely stolen away from the world, that was until Meg grabbed my arm with an iron grip and ripped me out of my fantasy.

She took me back to our bench and put her hand on my face, like a loving mother.

"What are you doing? You're completely head over heels for him, you do know what this means?" Now that she was getting on my nerves, I didn't want her to be my loving mother.

"No. I don't know what this means, and I'm _not_ head over heels for him." I breathed.

Meg furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. I glanced around. "Ok! Maybe I am slightly in love with him, I just..I don't know him very well. We just met! What is it with me and falling in love so quickly...." I paused. "Oh crap." I silently fell to pieces.

"Yeah, What about your other lover? That murderer that lives somewhere in the catacombs of the opera house?" Meg asked.

I was going to have a panic attack, I remembered more of Meg's story, or the Opera house's story is more like it.

Erik had gone into a mad fit when he had heard that Christine had another lover. He hadn't taken it very well the first time, and if he thought I was Christine, betraying him a second time would be even worse.

Meg looked at my sweating self, she seemed to be getting worried "Maybe we should go upstairs..." she said warily. Upstairs was wear Erik's passageway was, he could possibly hear our conversation... and that would be horrendous.

"No! No! We're not going upstairs. That's the last place I need to go."

"Ok, then. Well we need to go somewhere, because we're starting to draw attention." Meg said, glancing at the numerous people listening in.

"You're right. Help me up." I said, holding out my arms for her to help pull me up.

We stepped out onto the stage once more.

"You know, this is really starting to sound more and more like Christine's past... Arya? Are you listening to me?"

I wasn't paying attention to Meg, I was looking at the cloaked figure that was standing practically invisible near the Chandelier's dome. He shifted sides and turned the other way, revealing a white porcelain mask that was etched over his face.

I screamed a blood curdling scream, my arms fell limp, and almost passed out in Meg's arms. The thing was I was still conscious.

Meg shifted my body back and forth, asking me questions "Arya! What in the name of all that is holy is wrong?" .

As many people surrounded me, I couldn't respond to any of their frantic questions, all I could focus on was Erik. It wasn't really Erik I was focusing on, but the sharp dagger that he was holding steadily in his gloved hands.


	5. Down Once More

**A/N: Yep. I got another chapter done already! I know, I'm shocked too. It's not nearly as long as some of the other chapters, but I swear the next chapter will be at least 3,000 words, and it may be the final chapter too. **

**I'm thinking of writing an epilog as well, mainly because in The Phantom Of The Opera, you kind of wish you knew what happened after Erik escapes, at least I did. And I may have created that in my story, but I think I would like to know what happens after the story ends.**

**By the way, Christian was taken from another favorite musical of mine, Moulin Rouge. He's not exactly like the Christian I know and love, but that's how you can picture him.**

Chapter 5.

Down Once More

Christian, Meg, and Mousier Bouquet gathered around me as I lay in Meg's arms.

The buzz of many voices filled my ears, but I didn't care. The only thing in my mind right now was getting Christian and I out of the Opera House. The only problem was that he would think I was insane for telling him everything.

Christian picked me up out of Meg's arms and put me in his own.

I suddenly found reason to speak.

"Wait! Don't pick me up!" I shouted.

Erik was still watching every move I made, and if Christian picked me up and took me somewhere, Erik was sure to follow.

I stood up and whispered into Christian's ear "Don't panic, but we have to get out of here."

Christian stared at me blankly "What? What are you talking about!?".

"Shh!" I put my finger up to his lips. "Just follow me."

I entwined my fingers in his, and ran off the stage. I heard distant shouts coming from Meg, but I ignored her. I cared about Christian, and Meg's aggravating and prudent questions were not going to stop me from saving our lives.

Erik was trying to kill someone, I was guessing that it was either Christian or myself. Meg after all was right, he was just a deranged murderer, and I had no business plastering myself on him like I did last night. I never needed to see Erik again.

I pulled Christian behind me, and raced past many crew members, pushing several aside.

"May I ask where you're taking me!?" Christian shouted.

"I have no time to explain right now, I'll tell you in a minute." I replied.

We reached a broom closet, so I yanked the splintered door open and shoved Christian inside. I turned around and slammed the door behind me. I grabbed a broom and propped it up against the handle.

It was pitch black in the closet and I couldn't see a thing so I forcefully yanked Christian towards me.

"What in the name of bloody hell is wrong with you!?" Christian exclaimed.

"Shh, don't talk, just listen." I whispered.

Christian silenced.

"Ok, have you ever heard the story of the phantom of the opera?"

Christian rolled his eyes, "Yes. I have, it's just a myth isn't it?"

"That's where your wrong. You see, The Phantom exists, and he's been stalking me for a day or two now. He believes I'm Christine De Changy, and he thinks he loves me."

Christian glanced around the room, almost as if this was some kind of joke.

"You've got to be kidding me? You can't be serious...There is no possible way that the Phantom exists, he's merely some kind of shadow that's a subject of shallow chorus girls."

I let out a short breath "Shut up, you need to just shut up and let me continue." I waited for Christian to respond. He nodded his head in agreement. "Ok then, He saw myself with you, and I saw him up in the chandelier dome... holding a dagger. That was my reason for having a screaming fit."

Christian waited to see if I was done speaking, and when I told him I was done he asked "But I don't understand, why would someone get so jealous if he just saw us together, we didn't have any kind of physical contact, we didn't even shake hands."

"You're wrong again, you picked me up and swept me off my feet, not to mention we were talking."

Christian opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I waited, but he didn't speak until he had moved closer towards me.

"I must confess that I do have feelings for you. I saw you singing out there and... well I couldn't help falling for you, and if this Phantom wants to murder me for falling in love, well then there's no justice in this world. So I my as well have some reason for dying for you." Christian spoke softly in my ear, and forcefully put his lips on my own.

My head slammed up against the wooden door, making a terrible noise, but I didn't care. He was kissing me... but I didn't like it. There was no emotion in it, unlike the kiss I had shared with Erik.

Erik had kissed me softly, and lovingly. He seemed to care for me, but Christian's kiss... it was forceful and almost like he had been put up to kissing me. He had said he had feelings for me, but this kiss didn't show it.

I pulled Christian away from me, I had had enough of this.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Christian looked confused and unresponsive.

"I was kissing you until you pushed me away like that. I thought that if this Phantom wanted to kill me, then I should have some reason for being killed, and now I do."

I looked down at the floor hesitantly "Christian, I do admit to having feelings for you, but you just aren't... Erik. I hardly know both of you, and yet I admit to falling in love with both of you!".

"Wait, you've kissed him? You have feelings for him? So I'm just some kind of stranger that's ruined your relationship?" Christian looked angry and upset, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. I had sort of used him in a way.

"I'm sorry Christian, I really am."

"I do want you to know, that I like you, and that I greatly esteem you." Christian paused then looked at me strangely. "What am I saying? I love you! I hardly know you, but I don't care." Christian had a smile that made me want to smile also, but I couldn't.

The window that was in the back of the broom closet suddenly shattered to pieces, scattering all over the floor.

Christian and I both jumped and held each other as I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I almost fainted when I saw who the person was that was crawling in through the window. Erik jumped into the broom closet and grabbed me by the arm so that the blood circulation was cut off.

"Let go of her now!" Christian cried.

Erik raised a long sword that had Erik's crest molded into the handle up to Christian's neck.

Erik glared at Christian menacingly, then broke into a laughing fit "This fool is the man that you would rather have... then myself?".

I was remaining rather clam, which was very unusual. Normally I would have been crying my eyes out or begging for mercy on my knees.

No, I didn't want Christian to be slaughtered right in front of my eyes, but part of me wanted to go with Erik, and yet part of me wanted to stay with Christian.

"Erik, please. Just...just don't hurt him, I couldn't live with myself if I saw him die."

I gave Christian a sad, longing look.

Erik seemed shocked, almost as if he couldn't breathe. "So wait" Erik said. "You would choose me over him?". Erik's breaths seemed short and out of place.

"I choose you, Erik." I said, tears streaming down my face. "Let's just please get of here."

Christian had been forced up against the door, but when Erik lowered his sword Christian jumped towards me and whispered in my ear "If this is what you really want, then I won't follow, but I want you to know that I love you." Christian was trying to finish his sentence while Erik was pushing him away from me.

I mouthed_ I love you_ as Erik slid his hand around my waist and pulled us both out the window.

The last thing I saw was Christian standing pitifully in the broom closet.

As Erik pulled both of us down a long winding rope, I heard Christian shout "I'll come for you!", I just hoped that Erik hadn't heard what I had heard.

**Nope! This isn't the end of the story, I'll get to writing the next chapter as soon as possible!**


	6. God Give Me Courage

**A/N: Ok, I've finally made up my mind. I've been debating what to do with this fanfic, and I think I actually know where it's going now. I at least know the ending. No one is dying! That's the big announcement. I thought it might be entertaining to have someone die, but it just didn't work out as I was writing it. **

**I'm sorry if this chapter has many grammar errors, I didn't have time to correct it. **

Chapter 6. God, Give Me Courage

Erik and I sat in silence as we stared at each other from opposite sides across his lair. I was sitting on the gothic bed, just like before, while he sat at his pride and joy, his organ.

We hadn't said a civil word to each other since we left Christian a day ago in the vacant broom closet. The only sayings exchanged were 'Sure, No and Umm'.

Silence is usually peaceful and calming, but I was about to rip my own hair out from the lack of conversation. At least with Christian I was able to talk.

I quietly stalked over to the second bedroom that wasn't wide open like the bedroom I had just been in, but instead was behind a closed door.

I shut the door discreetly, then laid my body on the four-poster bed.

I recapped yesterday's minor tragedies. I didn't want to leave Christian, but at the same time I did. I loved him, but I didn't love him. The comparisons went on in my head as I fought with myself.

I loved Erik, but I loved Christian.

I decided to change out of my heavy dress and hoop skirt, it was just adding onto my stress.

Erik had brought all of my belongings over here after he had technically kidnapped me. It took him a matter of minutes to do so. It crossed my mind more than once that he possibly had already taken them out of the room I shared with Meg.

I grabbed for my teal silk robe that was hung over the bed, then I quickly dashed out of my bedroom and into the main living area, exchanging quick glances with Erik, and finally into the bathroom.

Once I was done changing, all I had on was my undergarments and the robe, I felt a little more free and at home.

I let my hair down so that it now was no longer in the tight and neat bun I had had it in before. My tight curls draped over my shoulders now.

I walked out of the bathroom and sat on a red velvet couch that was pushed to the corner of the room where obviously no one ever sat. Erik probably spent most of his time sitting at the organ anyway.

I looked up from my legs and saw Erik staring at me, I mildly blushed then turned my head away.

"Y-You l-look beautiful" Erik spat out.

My eyes went wide, I crossed my legs, then looked up at him. I never had truly ever been called beautiful before, I had never really saw myself as pretty in any way either.

I looked around and waited a few moments before saying "Thank you."

"Would you come here?" Erik asked.

I sighed, then steadily stood up and marched over to the organ.

Erik took a sheet of paper out of the organ's seat and gave it to me. On the paper were music notes, he had written one of the most difficult songs I had ever seen.

"I want you to sing this... for me."

I gasped to myself, how could I sing this? This was the work of a genius and I would ruin it.

"I don-" Erik interrupted me. "For me." He said again.

I took in a breath. "Alright."

Erik began to play the music beautifully, and when he told me so I began to sing.

_"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses. Slowly, gently, life unfolds it's splendor..."_

When I had finished his song, I immediately noticed a tear in Erik's eye.

"Erik?" He wiped away the tear and jerked his head up, "Y-yes?" He replied.

"May I ask why you're crying?" I slowly sat down and comforted him.

"I've never let anyone else sing that song, it's our song Christine, you sing it like an angel." There he goes again with the Christine thing, but I wasn't going to say anything or otherwise it would turn out like last time... and that did not end well.

Erik leaned in closer towards me and took my hand, as he did so I slid away, but did not reject his hand.

"We can be together now, at last."

I nervously tried to find anywhere to look besides Erik's face.

I laughed a nervous laugh then said "Uh huh... yeah.".

Erik rested his hand slightly on my cheek, as he did so I pulled my face away.

"What are you trying to do with me Erik?" I asked as politely as I could.

Erik put his hand back onto his lap, he almost seemed embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I... should have, but I love you Christine, there isn't anything that can cure my love for you."

I rolled my eyes and huffed when I heard him call me Christine again. If he called me that one more time I was going to say something.

I quickly had the need to touch him, he was sitting right next to me and a thunderbolt of emotions seemed to be passing through my body. I started to reach out and grab his hand, but then I thought of Christian. It would be like betraying him, because I was certain he would come for me, and if I told Christian that I was kissing Erik the entire time I was gone... I had a feeling that he wouldn't be too pleased. One kiss couldn't hurt though, could it? What if I told Christian I didn't have a choice, that I was forced by mysel- yeah, I'm sure Christian would believe _that_, even if it was the truth.

I continued to reach out for him, when I found his hand I took it in my own.

Erik seemed surprised that I had done so, but he quickly got over the surprise when I started to slide towards him, not away.

I took his face in my own hands and inclined my head to the side. I leaned in and softly brushed my lips against his.

Erik sat there like a statue, a complete motionless statue. He didn't move, blink, or breathe until he started to slide his hand onto my waist. Slowly, bit by bit, he gave into my kiss.

He started giving in by wrapping his other hand around my waist as well (He seemed to always have some attraction to my waist that I didn't understand), then he inclined his head the opposite way I had, until he started kissing me back.

When I was kissing Erik it didn't seem like time was flying by, but that time had completely stopped. We could have been kissing the entire night and into the day, I didn't know or care. The only reason I stopped was when something came over Erik and he started reaching for the ties of my robe. I ignored his want until he started peeling my robe off of me so that it was now down to my waist. When I felt the cold bone chilling air hit my back I immediately pulled away from Erik, quickly trying to manage tying my robe back around me.

"What were you doing!?" I cried.

Erik sheepishly stood up and looked at me.

I rested my hands on my hips and looked him in the eyes, "Did you just think you could undress me without getting away with it? I'm not stupid you know. I don't sleep with men who I don't know very well either, actually I don't normally sleep with anyone at all. So you can just mark that off your list of things you want to do with Arya." I said coldly.

I suddenly realized I had hurt him...again. God, what was with him being sensitive. It was very irritable.

"I'm sorry, it was wrong of me."

Why was it that he always started his sentences with 'I'm sorry'?

I walked back into the bedroom and suddenly felt exposed, I didn't like men trying to undress me. It had actually been the first time someone had tried, and I didn't like it too well. Maybe Erik was only after one thing, and he didn't want me for anything else. The questions kept racing through my head.

I grabbed a satin pillow and jumped onto the bed, I had the urge to scream so I shoved my head into the pillow and screamed as hard as I could.

All I wanted to do was get out of this cold and chilling place, I couldn't stand to live down here any longer, and it had only been a day.

It all came down to, I had to make a decision... right now.

Christian's POV

I walked through the grimy passageways and through the catacombs of the Opera Populaire.

I had to find Arya, that beast had taken her away... right out of my grasp and it was my duty to find her, because I truly loved her, I think.

I was treading through algae incrusted water, and I was glad to see that water was getting shallower when I turned around a corner. There was a iron rod gate that was closed over an arch way, behind the archway there seemed to be a living area, a very nice one at that too, but I wasn't looking at the living area... I was looking at Arya.

Arya seemed to be fine, she actually looked angry. She was scolding Erik like a mother would to her son, but normally mother's were wearing more than a corset. She was practically naked, and this kind of surprised me.

I saw Arya storm off behind a closed door, I finally had my chance to confront Erik.

I rattled the gate and screamed "Where's Arya! ". Erik whipped around and smiled a devilish smile.

"Good morning Mousier, how are you on this fine morning?".

I rolled my eyes, then shook the cage more. "_I'm_ just fine, considering I've been trying to find this place the entire night. Let me ask one more time, WHERE'S ARYA!?". He was being annoying, and trying to stall time as much as he could.

Erik walked over to a curtain and tugged at one of the ropes, the cage immediately sprung up out of the water and started to rise.

I stopped screaming uselessly when I heard a loud thud come from outside the door.

I propped the pillow on the bed and grabbed onto one of the posts.

I stared at the door, almost hoping that someone would open it itself, I didn't want to back out there.

I heard another thud then following it, a muttered curse. Then someone screaming '_where's Arya'_ . It had to be Christian.

I ran up to the door and swung it open, I stepped outside to see a Erik with a crazed look on his face, and Christian standing in the middle of the water, drenched head to toe with blood running down his forehead.

I gasped "Christian!" then I ran towards him, almost knocking him down with my embrace.

"What on earth happened to you!?" I cried.

Christian laughed momentarily then shrugged, "I hit it on the gate, I completely fell backwards and landed in the water."

I shortly laughed, then ripped off a piece of my robe and started to dab at his wound.

Christian and I had completely forgotten about Erik, he was standing right behind us watching everything.

He yelled thunderously "Have you made your choice!? Is this who you want to spend the rest of your life with? A penniless producer? Ha!"

I sighed, then turned around to face Erik. "I have made my choice, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until tonight at the performance to see who I choose. Erik, I will allow Mousier Bouquet to let you be the leading man in Hannibal tonight. My character does not enter until later on in the Opera, if I show up and decide to sing with you, I have chosen you." I breathed, then turned around to face Christian once more. "Christian, if I choose you over Erik, I will come up to your box tonight before the show begins, and we can leave all of this behind." Christian nodded his head, then leaned in and kissed me. It wasn't rough like the first time had been, but soothing, almost like he in fact did love me.

I pulled away when I realized Erik was still watching, "Erik, you're going to have to let me go until tonight. You do realize that?". Erik sighed, then nodded coherently.

Christian took my hand, and lead me out of the lair.

I had made my choice, and I wasn't going to go back on my own word. No matter what I did, they would be disappointed, and I would be disappointed in myself.

**So who will she choose!? Hmm, you'll have to find out. Also, tell me thus far what's been your favorite chapter.**


	7. The Final Dance

**A/N: Well, I actually finished it. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to post it... I had a bit of writer's block for the longest time. I'd like to thank those who have taken their precious time to read this story. It's not good at all, and I'm fully aware of that, but I had fun writing it, and it's that always the point? Maybe sometime I'll sit down and re-write it. **

**Anyway, I've had my Love Never Dies soundtrack for almost a two months now and I decided to loosely base this chapter off of Devil Take The Hindmost (Reprise), and the song Arya and Erik sing is Beneath A Moonless Sky. Not quite sure if it fit or not. I thought it did at the time... **

Chapter 7: The Final Dance

I jumped up and down on top of the wooden suitcase that lay upon my bed, trying furiously to latch the blasted thing.

Meg crossed her arms across her chest, and then looked up at my tiresome face.

"How many times are you going to try getting that _thing_ closed?" She spat.

I slouched my shoulders, "You know what? How about you get your lazy bum over here and latch it yourself."

I steadily sat atop the object as she waltzed over and snapped it shut.

"Thank the Lord!" I muttered.

Meg rolled her eyes then flopped onto her unmade bed.

"So…? I guess you're choosing Christian" She glanced down at my suitcase, "Considering you've been packing all afternoon."

I grabbed a pair of satin slippers from underneath the bed frame.

"Just because I'm packing doesn't necessarily mean I'm leaving with Christian." I pointed out.

"Well when will you tell me who it is then?"

"You're smart. I'm pretty sure you can figure that out when the time comes" I shoved the slippers into a small pack, along with another pair of shoes.

"Besides, if I tell you now you'll go off and gossip with the rest of the chorus girls." I said with a grin spreading across my face.

Meg rested her hands on her hips, giving me her trademark glare.

"I will not!" She protested.

She started grabbing a few of my belongings off of shelves in the closet.

"I actually think you'll choose Christian, he's more of your type."

She placed a china doll, that my mother had given me, into my second suitcase.

I crawled under my bed and grabbed what I could find in the dark messy pit.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "And what exactly is my type?"

Meg jumped onto my bed. "The sensitive man who dreams of love, but has never really realized what love is until he meets the girl that he's been waiting for." She rested her arm on the suitcase. "Which is you. Christian loves you, I can see that, but I think Erik is so madly in want of Christine that he doesn't really want Arya for Arya, do you understand?"

I crawled out from under the dusty bed, "Now that I have a headache from the explanation…maybe Erik is sensitive too and is in love with me, how on earth would you know?"

Meg rolled her eyes again, "Because obviously all Erik wants is Christine's body" She started twirling her blonde locks. "And her voice, but you already have both. He's in love with Christine, not Arya."

Meg had finally spoken some sense into me; she did have a point after all.

Erik only loved me because he thought I was Christine, he didn't love me for me, and he never would.

Everything that I had planned for that evening came crashing down before me.

"Meg. I need to speak to Monsieur Bouquet immediately!"

Meg seemed startled by my outburst, "Why now? I thought you were packing for your passionate night with Christian."

I barreled toward the door then turned around to face Meg, "How many times do I have to tell you?" I asked.

Meg smiled wickedly, "I'm going to keep bothering you until you tell me."

I smiled back forcefully, "You know, patience is a great virtue."

"Why be patient when you can provoke?" Meg batted her lashes; then scurried off the bed and into the hall.

I let out a huff then followed after her quickly.

"Monsieur! I need to speak with you!" I cried.

The plump man raced towards me, "What is it dear Arya?" He asked.

I started playing with my fingers franticly, "Sir, you know how I said I wasn't going to be performing tonight?"

Bouquet looked over me, as if he thought I was hiding something.

"Yes…?"

"Well, you see I kind of would like to now. It's very important!"

Monsieur Bouquet waved at one of the stage hands that was passing by.

"I already have someone to cover for you tonight, why don't you just take the night off?"

I was bouncing with anticipation.

"I can't do that you see, it's extremely urgent that I work tonight! I mean after all, I have worked really hard for this role."

He ran his fingers through his hair, "If it's so important to you, then you won't work for anything tonight. No payment, you got it?"

My face formed into a frown, "I guess that's fine."

I wouldn't be working here much longer anyway, when I ran off no one would know where to find me.

Meg came charging towards me, the brightest smile planted on her face.

"Well? What did he say!"

I passed two white note cards to Meg silently, "Uh, he said it's fine."

I clutched her shoulders. "Meg, it's very important that you get these cards to Christian and Erik" I pointed at the golden embossed letters.

Meg's face saddened "What are they for?"

"You don't need to know, just give the cards to them."

Her face started to look frightened, "I'm not going anywhere near that monster, what if he…" Meg tilted her head to the side twice. "You know… I could get assaulted."

This time it was my turn to roll me eyes, "Then leave it in Box 5, I don't really care, just make sure he gets it."

Meg nodded her head in agreement.

She turned around, ready to leave "One more thing!" She cried. "Can I read them?"

The look on my face assured her that she was not allowed to read them.

I watched her dreary face march off of the stage, I then chuckled a triumphant laugh.

I began walking down the hallways of the Opera house, making sure I took in every detail that passed me by.

I was going to miss the musty smell of the halls, the Edwardian grandeur of the architecture, even the way Meg let her costumes lay where ever they landed.

Yes, she was a slob, but I had come to love her like a sister, after tonight I would probably never see her again.

A stagehand approached me from behind and lightly tapped me on the shoulder.

"Miss Arya! 5 minutes till curtain."

I turned around face to face with the bearded man; I took him in just like the rest of the men and women that passed me by.

I stared into this soft rounded face and smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir."

I turned away from the man and waltzed down the corridor, smiling like I never had before to the staring actors.

When I reached the opening to the stage and lightly wrapped my arm around Meg who was standing behind a wooden post waiting for her turn to perform.

"Oh Arya! You look absolutely stunning tonight." She cried.

I spun around in the black velvet costume I had put on just moments ago.

"It is gorgeous, isn't it?"

"Of course!"

I took Meg's hand in my own, and sincerely asked, "Meg, did you get the letters to Christian and Erik?"

Meg's shining smile faded, "Yes, but, I read them… Don't be angry with me, I didn't see why you didn't want me to read them. All it said was to come to the performance tonight instead of what you had planned."

I frowned, "Meg! That was private!"

The same stagehand that had come up to me just a few minutes before cried "Ready on the rail?".

Another man shouted from across left hand stage, "Ready on the rail!"

The man shoved me out onto the stage and forced me under a spotlight.

"Miss Arya? Are you ready?"

I slouched my shoulders, "I am now."

"George, curtain?" He winked to the man who I guessed was George.

The man ran off the stage and clung to a golden rope that hung from the thick curtain.

This was the first time I had actually heard him whisper, "And curtain…"

The curtain rose slowly from the smooth stage and gathered under the few spotlights that were hanging from above.

The large crowd whooped and cheered, some were standing on their feet and some were slowly tapping their hands together. As if they wished they had never been forced to come here in the first place.

Everyone hushed and sat back down in their golden seats when the music began to swell to the duet I was suppose to sing, but I couldn't find my masked partner anywhere.

The beginning of the duet repeated itself, waiting for Erik to arrive.

No Erik appeared.

I knew his part, but I didn't have the voice to sing it, but I was still stupid and naïve enough to open my mouth.

"_Once there was a night beneath a moonless sky, too dark to see a thing too dark to even try." _

It didn't sound the same as Erik's haunting voice; my voice was too high and operatic to sing his part.

Then suddenly, wearing his costume and ivory mask, stood Erik front and center behind me.

I smiled out of relief, and comfort that my angel of music was here at last to perform with me.

He nudged me playfully, his boyish smile teasing me with triumph, so I continued onto my own part of the duet.

"_I stole to your side to tell you I must go, I couldn't see your face but sensed you even so…" _

Erik grabbed my hand, then twirled me quickly and wrapped me in his arms.

He sang in the voice I had come to love "_And I touched you…" _

Then I continued the melody "_And I felt you. And I heard those ravishing refrains…"_

Erik's arm clung to my waist and moved swiftly to the flow of music.

"_The music of your pulse"_

His smile faded, but the smoldering look in his eyes made my heart beat out of my chest, his voice continued with the song.

"_The singing in your veins_, _and I held you…"_

"_And I touched you._

"_And embraced you."_

"_And I felt you…"_

"_And with every breath and every sigh," _

I was glowing with excitement, ready to burst with the energy that was in my body.

These lyrics meant everything to me, Erik had obviously written them to tell the story we had shared these past few days.

We both sang together, perfectly united.

"_At last our feelings bared, beneath a moonless sky…"_

Erik leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Arya, I adore you and love you, and I want to spend every waking minute of the rest of my life with you."

I let out a gasp that would have ruined the song if it hadn't been for Erik.

I whispered in reply, "My god, you just called me Arya…"

Erik looked down upon me and quietly laughed.

"Should I sing the ladies part, or will you continue on?"

"Oh, right."

I turned around and faced the audience once more, but I didn't want to, I wanted Erik to sweep me up and take me off to his lair, I wanted him to make me his, and only his.

I glanced up at box five, where my beloved Christian sat on the edge of his seat. He said he loved me, but I no longer believed it, he was the one after all who didn't love me for me, not Erik.

I gave Christian a final look, shook my head once, and then clung to Erik decidedly.

"_And blind in the dark, as soul gazed into soul, I Looked into your heart and saw you pure and whole." _

I turned back to Erik and lovingly looked into his eyes, "Erik, I choose you."

There was nothing like his face at that moment, it was indescribable.

He finally sensed compassion, love, and happiness no one had ever shown him before.

Tears brimmed in his eyes as he cried the words to the music, "_Cloaked under the night with nothing to suppress, a woman and a man no more and yet no less._

_And I kissed you," _

I laid my head against his chest, "_And caressed you."_

"_And the world around us fell away…"_

Once again, we sang together pouring literal emotion into the gorgeous song Erik had wrote.

"_We said things in the dark, we never dared to say…"_

Then we continued blissfully singing the song that only my angel of music could compose, yes, he was mine and I was his. It would always stay this way; no one could come between us.

The End.


End file.
